The Wolf Side: Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves 6
by rokchichomesickg
Summary: Virginia, Tony, and Wolf come upon the Gypsies


They spent the night on the river, the boat gently rocking them all to sleep. Tony's snores were annoying, but Wolf ignored them as he stared up at the twinkling stars, silently making a wish. _I want Virginia to trust me_. She had bunked below deck. Prince whined and twitched in his sleep. Somewhere off in the distance an owl hooted. There seemed to be no immediate sign of danger so Wolf let himself drift off to sleep.

_He dreamed of Virginia in a white gown, shrouded by bright light. He couldn't see her face clearly so he put his hand up to shield his eyes, and suddenly he was staring into the face of the Queen! He gasped and took a step back._

"You promised to obey me," she said, her voice echoing in his thoughts.

_"Go away," he said. "You have no power over me. Go away." He waved his hands in front of his face._

He was awake, his body curled up in a defensive position. He looked around warily and sighed in relief. It was just a dream. Wolf took a deep breath of fresh air, glad that he wasn't in the prison. It was still dark, and the moon was crossing slowly across the sky. He stared at it, mesmerized. It almost made him want to howl, but he didn't want to wake Virginia. The moon was _so_ beautiful. He wished Virginia was out on deck with him. His books really were helping; before them, he probably would have woken her like an excited pup. He smiled to himself as he thought of how perfect she was for him. With that thought, he went back to a dreamless sleep.

It was sunrise when he woke. Prince, Tony, and Virginia were below deck, still sleeping. He yawned and stretched, rubbing his eyes and feeling well-rested. His hands felt the fur on his face. _I've got to shave_, he thought. He must look his best for Virginia. Wolf decided to wake her. He let out a long howl and ran below deck.

"Rise and shine! Wakey, wakey! It's another beautiful day in the Fourth Kingdom." Tony groaned, signaling he was awake.

"Sleep well, Virginia," he asked brightly, crossing to her bedside as she sat upright. Wolf was having trouble keeping his tongue from lolling. Her disheveled hair and sleepy expression made him want her more.

"Actually, no," she moaned, "I just got to sleep an hour ago."

"Oh, you should have joined me on deck, sleeping under the stars! It was _quite_ magnificent." He gestured for emphasis and continued to stare at her hungrily. She didn't seem to mind.

"You're outstandingly _gorgeous_ in the morning," he said with a rakish smile. Virginia began to move out of bed, and he moved aside to let her pass. "Pert from the front," he gasped audibly as she moved around him, "and a vision from behind!"

"Hey!" Tony yelled. Wolf growled and turned on him.

"What?"

"Just don't look at my daughter like that," Tony replied. Of course it was only right for a father to protect his daughter. Wolf relaxed.

"Was it this look, Tony?" he asked, allowing his tongue to loll at the corner of his mouth, and whined. "I can't help it. It's animal passion."

"Just stay away from her, alright? You've got a criminal record," Tony said as he rubbed his eyes. Wolf decided to point out a flaw in Tony's request.

"Well, how can I stay away from her," he asked. "We're on a very _small_ boat. I may bump into her accidentally at any given moment." Virginia chimed in at this.

"Hey!" she yelled from around the corner. "Would you guys stop talking about me as if I'm not here?"

Tony rolled his eyes and laid back on his pillow. Prince perked up his head and ran up on deck.

"First of all, I'm not your man-servant," Tony mumbled. "And if you think I'm going to–" Tony was interrupted as he sat up and bumped his head, releasing a catch on some sort of hidden cabinet. Tony was rubbing his head and stopped in surprise as he came face-to-face with a large golden fish in a tank with no water. Wolf gasped.

"Cripes!" he exclaimed. "What is _that?_ Huffity-puffity!" He crouched in front of the tank beside Tony, examining the contents of the tank.

"That's one hell of a fish," Tony said, forgetting his head wound, and reading the label. "Golden River Gold Fish. . . you think it's. . . magic?" Wolf considered.

"Goodness gracious, yes! This is the famous Anything-You-Touch-Will-Turn-to-Gold fish," Wolf replied.

"What's this," Virginia asked, pointing to another label. "Warning: Do not break glass except in case of financial emergency."

"Look at this," said Tony, pointing to a small scroll that was halfway unrolled at the bottom corner of the tank. It held a poem.

Stick your finger

in my mouth

Then turn around

til you face South

Touch a thing

that you would prize

and you will not

believe your eyes

There is magic

to behold

All that glitters

can be gold

Tony read the poem aloud, and Wolf could hear a note of longing in his voice. He was suddenly very worried about the consequences of this magic.

"You really think it turns whatever you touch into gold," Tony asked.

"Well, I'm sure it does, but. . . we don't need to turn anything to gold, do we?" Wolf replied.

"Well, no," Tony admitted, "but I mean, gold is gold, right? Think about the guy who owned this boat. He was no fool. He's probably now living in the lap of luxury in his own Nine Kingdoms condominium with a mountain of gold in his back yard and everything his heart desires." Tony's voice was becoming wistful and full of longing. Wolf didn't like that glint in his eyes.

"Best leave it alone, Tony," said Wolf, turning away from the fish. "Best leave it alone." Virginia followed him out of the room as Tony absentmindedly agreed. Wolf caught his reflection in a small mirror and scratched his face. He looked scruffy and unkept. _This will never do_, he thought. _Virginia must be seen with a man, not a wolf_. He looked around for a blade and some cream and found the two in a small cupboard. He stirred the cream mixture with a brush and applied it onto his face hurriedly.

"Wolf!" Tony called from above deck. Wolf stopped lathering. "You going to find dinner or not?"

"Uh, yeah!" he called back nervously. It was a weak moment for him, worrying about his appearance. He didn't want to be caught primping in a mirror. Wolf cleaned and sharpened the razor, muttering, "I must look beautiful for Virginia," to no one in particular. Just as he raised the blade to his face an image of the Queen appeared in the mirror.

"Hello, Wolf," she said. Wolf jumped back in surprise, letting out a startled yelp.

"Go away," he gasped, "Leave me alone!"

"You agreed to obey me," she stated simply.

"No!"

"Yes. I control you."

"No," he tried to say more emphatically, but it ended up coming out as a plea.

"Why can't I see your companions? What magic is going on here?" Her voice sounded silky and dangerously close to being angry. Wolf thought of Virginia. He must protect her at all costs, even if it meant facing the Queen's wrath.

"Magic?" he muttered to himself, looking over his shoulder as Tony made his way down the stairs.

"Wolf. Is there food or isn't there food," Tony called. Wolf reached up and faced the mirror toward the wall. First of all, he didn't want Tony to see, and secondly, it was safer if the Queen couldn't spy on them.

"No, I wasn't talking to anybody," Wolf said. "I was making dinner." He went back upstairs before he could wipe the lather off his face, worried that whatever magic was keeping Virginia safe from the Queen could either eventually wear off or be yet another danger lurking in the shadows. He could hear Tony calling to him, but he ignored it. Wolf leaned over the edge of the boat and splashed the lather off his face. So much for shaving. He would make a point from now on to avoid reflective surfaces.

_"_Are you okay?" Virginia asked, looking at him with an expression of concern. Wolf stopped in his tracks, realizing that he had been pacing back and forth in a very small space. Prince had been lazily watching from the sidelines. Even as dog, Wolf thought him insufferable, with his airs and wasn't _his_ fault that some wolves were more wild than others, yet Wendell had passed judgement, banishing wolves to Red Riding Hood Forest, although some, like himself, had broken away from the wolf community and decided to go it alone. In his current state of agitation, his eyes kept flitting to the dog.

"Huh?" Wolf answered. "Yeah, I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle." He smiled his most charming smile, holding his shoulders back as he gestured emphatically.

"Then why are you pacing," she asked, one eyebrow raised. Wolf got the feeling that she was teasing him. Wolf liked games.

"No reason. Exercise." He shrugged. Virginia's head whipped around as they both heard a crash come from below deck. She groaned.

"I bet Dad broke something. I'm going to check it out," she said. Prince stood on all fours and whined.

"I hear you, Princey," Wolf told the dog. He heard Virginia's screams from below deck. _Uh-oh. Tony._ Wolf waited at the top of the stairs for them. When father and daughter came back on deck, Tony was holding his little finger out as if it were likely to bite him. It was glittering.

"Tony," he groaned. "Not the fish." There was an uneasy feeling in his gut. Virginia gave Wolf a look that said "Well, what did you expect?" There was nothing to do for it now, except wait for Tony to turn something to gold. Tony was positively skipping with glee. He kept going on about turning mountains into gold. Prince whined again and avoided Tony's left side altogether. After a while, Tony took to watching the horizon with the telescope as Virginia examined a heavy burlap bag. Wolf didn't know what she expected to do with it.

There, between two small mountain peaks, Wolf noticed the ruined castle. A feeling of dread and anxiety flooded him. He stood, looking at the ominous, crumbling walls.

"Oh, no," he said to himself. They were much too close to the Queen for his liking. He hadn't even noticed they were heading straight into her territory.

"What's wrong," came Virginia's voice from over his shoulder. He gasped in surprise, turning to answer her.

"Uh, nothing, just – just a feeling," he said apprehensively. His thoughts were interrupted by Tony's shouting.

"Hey, hey, hey! There it is! There's Acorn's boat!" he yelled, pointing. Virginia rushed to his side, following Tony's gaze.

"Where? I can't see." She moved to take the telescope from him, and he jerked his hand back.

"Watch the finger! It's right there."Tony was holding his arm up now, putting the dangerous, glittering finger out of reach of his daughter. Wolf turned his back and sat at the stern, manning the rudder. The dread feeling was still there, but it had now taken a different form. Finding Acorn meant finding the mirror. Virginia would go back home and leave him forever. Still, he wanted to please her, as he had given his solemn word to her back at the Troll King's castle. Prince seemed restless, too. His forelegs rested on the edge of the boat, his tail wagging. He was facing the ruins. Tony turned as if listening to the dog.

"What?" Tony said absentmindedly. He was torn between helping the Prince and getting to the mirror. "What castle? It's an old ruin, that castle. Why go there? Let's go to Acorn's boat."

Suddenly, the dog jumped overboard. Virginia shrieked in surprise, Tony yelled after him, and Wolf had already settled on getting as far away from the castle as possible. He was afraid the Queen really did have control over him. He could feel something in the back of his mind telling him to go back.

"Oh my God," Virginia said. "What is wrong with _him_?"

"Prince!" Tony yelled after him.

"Well, we can't go after him," said Virginia. "Let's just go find Acorn and get the mirror back." She put her hands on Tony's arms to calm him. Wolf was relieved, for once, to go after the mirror.

"Good idea. Just let him go."

_"_But–"

"Let him go." Wolf turned and went back to the rudder, as he had gotten up to join the others. Tony was frowning, but no longer made any protests.

The three of them went ashore, looking for Acorn. He was nowhere to be seen so Virginia asked an old man who appeared to now be in possession of the boat. He must have taken the mirror with them because there was no evidence of it.

"The boat's been here all morning," he told them. "He left less than a half hour ago."Virginia groaned.

"With the rest of the stuff that was on the boat?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," said the man matter-of-factly.

"Well, when's he coming back," Virginia asked.

"He's not," said the man gleefully, "he swapped this lovely boat for my horse and cart. I reckon I got a great deal." Tony and Virginia exchanged glances.

"Which way did he go," Virginia asked, wringing her hands.

"He said he'd use the road through the forest," said the man, pointing. "If you hurry, you could catch him." Virginia opened her mouth to say something else, but Wolf interrupted, pushing his way through the gap between father and daughter.

"Good idea, good idea. Let's go!" he said excitedly. He wanted to get as far away from the castle as possible. It was beginning to make his skin crawl uncomfortably.

"Now, hold on a second," Tony said. Wolf and Virginia stopped in their tracks and turned to face him. "What about Prince?" _You don't understand_, he thought at Tony_. We must get far, far away from here_.

"He's off. He wants to be on his own," said Wolf as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. Tony turned to point toward the castle, but Wolf stopped him before he could say anything about going to that horrible place.

"See, my heart is breaking, but let's follow the mirror." Wolf was feeling restless. An urge to run coursed through him, but he forced himself to stay with Virginia. Tony didn't seem too eager to leave Prince.

"Tone," Wolf said in a patronizing voice. "You said so yourself he's been nothing but a nuisance." An indignant look crossed Tony's face.

"Yeah, I know, but I. . ." Tony let his voice trail off.

"Well, look–" Virginia started, but Tony interrupted.

"It feels a little weird, leaving him here. He must have run off for a reason!" Wolf had to admit the argument to go after Prince was getting more convincing.

"You're going to lose that mirror," Wolf blurted. Virginia wanted to go home more than anything. She could get Tony's mind off the dog.

"Dad. . ."

"Wait, wait, wait," Tony said, waving his hands to signal the end of the conversation. "Let me go check. Fifteen minutes. Give me fifteen minutes." Virginia began to protest, but Tony was already running down the street, holding his glittering aloft. Wolf resisted the urge to growl.

Fifteen minutes came and went, and still no sign of Tony. Virginia was bouncing on the balls of her feet, as she always did when she was nervous.

"Maybe we should go after him," she suggested.

"Good idea," he said. The sooner they found Tony, the sooner they could leave. He and Virginia wandered through the streets, shouting "Tony!" to get his attention.

"Hey!" Tony's voice came from behind them. Wolf turned and gasped, genuinely glad to see Tony for the first time.

"Dad! Oh, thank God you're alright," said Virginia, jogging to her father. "Did you find Prince?"

"Uh. . ." Tony seemed a little distracted.

"Are you okay," Virginia demanded.

"I defeated the Trolls," Tony said triumphantly. Wolf gasped in glee, and Virginia was about to begin her praises when Tony interrupted.

"That's the good news." He seemed uneasy, like he was afraid to tell them something.

"Is there any bad news, Tone?" asked Wolf.

"Do you think that boatman might have a chisel," asked Tony sheepishly. _Uh-oh. What's he done now?_ Virginia and Wolf exchanged confused glances.

"Dad, what exactly _is_ the bad news?" Wolf looked down at Tony's hand. His finger was no longer glittering.

"Well. . ." He seemed reluctant to say, so he just started walking and they followed. There it was. A large, golden statue of three Trolls, a grotesque expression of rage frozen on their faces as they moved to grab Prince's tail. It seems they succeeded because the dog was also gold.

"_I_ think he'll come apart from the others pretty easily," said Tony. Wolf frowned, knowing neither Tony nor Virginia could leave the dog behind. With the suggestion of the chisel, he knew they'd be carting around a heavy, golden dog. It would make for a slow escape. On the bright side, he could technically tell himself he did the Queen's bidding of removing the threat of the dog. Wolf could imagine the dumbfounded looks on his and Virginia's faces. _How can we manage to take him with us?_ In the end it was decided that they would pull him on a small cart.

When they were finally out of the town and on the road in the woods, Wolf decided to take some time for personal reflection and recite to himself a passage of one of his self-help books that he had memorized. He'd had a pleasant night in the forest, and he was full of energy from the night's rest.

"_Every aspect of my life, I am guided to my highest happiness and fulfilment. Every day, and every way, I am becoming a new, and better, man. I am sensitive to the needs of women. I am listening to my emotions, and I am one with myself. And_. . ." He forgot the rest. He let out of huff of exasperation and picked up the book, which was sitting open on a rock. "_I am full of peace_ _and serenity_," he continued, not really feeling full of much peace at the moment. He could smell meat. "_I have control_," he sniffed, "_over all of my desires, and_," another sniff, "and. . . Tony!" he yelled, rounding on the cook. "You're ruining the bacon. I can smell it burning!"

Wolf jogged over to the fire and pulled the pan from the flames, chuckling at the thought of bacon. He didn't even notice that Tony was staring at the golden dog sadly.

"I feel terrible," he said dejectedly. "Look at him!" Wolf looked at the dog while he made a bacon sandwich.

"It's a simple magic-fish-spell-gold-finger mistake, Tony. It was almost predictable."

"But I've killed him," Tony whined. Wolf sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Things have a way of bouncing back here. I wouldn't worry about it too much." A small glimmer of hope reached Tony's eyes.

"Really? You're not just saying that." Wolf looked up sheepishly.

"I'm afraid I _am_ just saying that." He thought that was obvious. "Watch this simple Prince Alertness Test," he said, teasing. Maybe this would put Tony in a better mood. He picked up a stick and wagged it in front of the dog's face. "Come on. Come on," he urged. "Fetch!" He threw the stick. Tony didn't seem very amused, but Wolf was having fun with this game. Let the Prince feel what it's like to be caged for a while.

"That's not funny," Tony snapped.

"It'll get funnier if we keep on doing it," Wolf argued.

"Why are you two still sitting here?" Virginia demanded. "I told you to get packed up."

"We're making sandwiches," Tony mumbled.

"Yeah, we're making sandwiches," Wolf said gleefully, thinking about bacon again.

"Look, the mirror is getting further away all the time. If we lose this trail now we're never going to get home." Wolf couldn't believe she could just dismiss bacon so easily.

"Oh, but, Virginia. . . breakfast is _bacon_. And nothing sends my nostrils twitching like bacon in the morning. Little pigs, parading up and down with their little, curly corkscrew tails." He gasped, getting caught up in his imagination. Virginia and Tony had claimed sandwiches of their own. "Bacon sizzling away on an iron frying pan." He gasped again, bringing his own sandwich to his face and turning it in his hands. "Baste it. Roast it. Toast it. Nibble it. Chew it. Bite right through it. Wrap it around a couple of chickens, and am I _ravenous_!" He shoved the sandwich in his face and took a big bite. Virginia and Tony had stopped chewing.

"Let's finish these on the move," she said with a strange look on her face. Was it so odd that he liked to eat?

"Wait a minute, Virginia," he called, running after her. Tony was preparing the dog and cart to move. She didn't stop. He caught up to her. "Wait, Virginia, wait, wait. Uh. . . what do you see?" He asked her, putting his hand out to indicate the forest. Virginia smiled at him questioningly.

"Uh. . . a lot of trees?"

"No," he said, remembering all the things that happened while she was sleeping. He wanted her to experience the good parts of his land before she made the decision to leave him forever. "You see _nothing_. Look at _everything_ that happened here last night while you slept." He looked at her. The intrigued smile was still playing on her face, touching her eyes and making them sparkle a piercing blue.

"Like what," she said with a laugh. Wolf deliberated on what to show her first.

"You see that clearing," he asked, pointing. She nodded. "About midnight, a badger trotted across there. And then two hours later, a mother fox took the path, but our presence spooked her so she went back into the trees. Then a half an hour after that, _another_ fox came across there. Young this time, male and out courting. I reckon he got his porridge because I didn't see him come back." He smiled as Virginia laughed at his joke. "Or over there," he pointed to another area of the woods, "You see over there, where the undergrowth is disturbed? A noisy, little wild boar was snuffling about. I can't believe he didn't wake you up." Virginia shook her head. "Oh, and right in front of you, you see the passage of the mole? Or over there, a stag and a doe watched the sun come up with me. And that's not to mention the all night rabbit party, or the weasels, or the pheasants, or that owl," he said, looking up at the owl's branch. His gaze fell on Virginia, who seemed both amused and impressed. "And _you_ saw _nothing_." His heart was pounding in his chest. He hadn't realized how close he was standing to her.

"I stand corrected," she said in a quiet voice.

"Oh, you most certainly do." He felt his voice go husky as he said it. Virginia scoffed.

"Great. Now can we go?" She broke the tension and walked away from him. Wolf scratched his temple, feeling a little disappointed. His senses this morning were heightened. He could smell her attraction in her hormones, but she obviously still didn't completely trust him.

"Oh, Tony?" Wolf called. He helped him get the dog's cart onto the path and caught up to Virginia. He wanted advice on how to woo her, but he figured Tony wasn't the person to ask. For one, he seemed a little idiotic at times, and secondly, he didn't think asking the father of his potential mate how to get Virginia to fall in love with him in the first place was the best topic of conversation. Not that he was afraid of Tony at all, but if he decided to pick a fight, Wolf didn't want to hurt him for Virginia's sake. She seemed to care an awful lot about her father.

They walked for a while until a woman blocked their path.

"I am but a poor old lady. Spare me some food," she wheezed, holding out her hand. Wolf clutched his second sandwich tightly.

"Sorry. We're down to our last six sandwiches," he said as he walked around her.

"Good sir," the woman said to Tony.

"I only give to registered charities," he replied. Virginia was already digging around in her bag.

"Young lady? Spare me some food. Please?"

"Yeah," said Virginia as she handed the woman a bundle. _"_I'll give you what I have." The woman gasped in delight, taking the bundle from Virginia.

"Virginia," Tony chastised. "Such a soft touch."

"Yeah," said Wolf in agreement. "Soft touch."

"Hey!" Tony snapped at him. Wolf supposed it was the look in his eyes that warranted this protectiveness.

"Since you have been kind, I have a lesson for _all_ of you," said the woman. "Take this stick. Break it." Virginia broke the stick. "And this one." The woman handed her another. "Put these three together." She handed Virginia yet another stick. She held the pieces of the two broken sticks and the unbroken one.

"Now try and break them," said the tried to break the bundle and failed.

"I can't," she told the woman with a laugh.

"That is the lesson," said the woman, smiling.

"Good lesson," Wolf admitted.

"Oh, wow," said Tony in a sarcastic tone. "I think that was maybe only worth _one_ sandwich." The woman turned to face him.

"When the students are ready, the teacher appears."

"You didn't go to _my_ school," replied old woman moved to walk past Virginia, but Virginia caught her arm.

"Um, excuse me, miss, but did you happen to see a dwarf driving a cart?"

"Very early this morning. He took the main road through the forest, but _you_ must _not_. You must leave the path." Wolf jogged toward the woman worriedly.

"Wait. The road's the only safe thing in the whole forest," he said, gesturing to the road.

"Not for you," said the woman. "Someone is following you. They intend to kill you." She turned to leave. Wolf felt the bottom fall out of his stomach. _Anyone but him_, he thought.

"Woah! Wait, what is this 'intend to kill'," Tony asked, panicked, but the woman ignored him as she walked away. Wolf pulled Virginia and Tony close, his head bent low. He was trying to think of a way to outsmart this new foe.

"There's a man who controls this forest," he told them, trying to keep his voice level. "The Huntsman." Tony tried to move away, but Wolf grabbed the front of his jacket, keeping him in place. "I've heard he serves the Queen, but he _certainly_ wouldn't expect us to leave the only road and go into the forest itself." Wolf was trying to convince himself more than the others.

"Why not?" Virginia asked.

"Because only a fool would go into the Disenchanted Forest." Wolf was trying to be strong for Virginia, but he could hear the note of fear in his own voice.

"Well, let's not," suggested Tony, but Wolf knew they would have no choice. He would guide them with his nose.

"Okay, from now on _I_ will lead. Step where _I_ step." He scratched his temple as he ventured into the wild forest. He could hear Tony's groan protest, but he followed after Virginia anyway, pulling the dog behind him. If the Huntsman was following them, anything could be a danger. Wolf had heard of him. He killed poachers on sight. If the Queen had sent him, it was only a matter of time before he caught up. Wolf followed the clean air for a while, away from the stink of death, but he knew the best way to avoid the Huntsman was to go where he wouldn't expect them to go.

"Is it just me, or do you hear moaning," Tony said quietly.

"I hear moaning," Virginia answered.

"You'll hear lots of things. The forest is magical," Wolf said matter-of-factly.

They came across a clearing. Dead rabbits hung from branches, their blood dripping to the forest floor. Tony groaned in disgust.

"Cripes, what is this place," asked Virginia in disbelief. Wolf tried to ignore the death all around them. "Do you actually know where we're going," demanded Virginia.

"I'm following my nose," Wolf defended. Of course he knew where they were going, and he didn't like it one bit. The little hairs on the back of his neck were prickling. He was poised to attack at any second as he pushed onward.

"Who _is_ this Huntsman," Tony asked, pointing to a sign that said "All Poachers Will be Shot. By Order of the Huntsman." Wolf ignored him and kept walking. Tony groaned as he dragged the dog along, not getting his answer. Wolf had to constantly look behind him to make sure Virginia and Tony were still on the path he laid out for them. His instincts told him this was a dangerous place, and his animal side was ready for fight or flight.

Night was beginning to fall, but Wolf didn't notice. His eyesight was still relatively keen.

"We can't walk all night," Tony whispered as an owl hooted overhead.

"Yes, we can," Wolf argued. Somewhere, a horse whinnied.

"Woah, woah. Shh. Do you hear something?" Virginia said. They stopped to listen. The horse nickered somewhere nearby. Virginia pointed and they moved toward it. Wolf put his finger up to his lips to signal silence. He pushed a small branch of bush out of his way. _Will we never get a break?_

"Gypsies," he whispered to the others. Virginia leaned around for a better view.

"What do we do now," Tony whispered. Wolf looked back at him and was taken by surprise as two Gypsy men came from the bushes in front of and behind them. Tony exclaimed in surprise when he saw their knives.

"Join us, of course," said one of the men.

They were led into the Gypsy camp, feeling more like prisoners than guests. Wolf didn't feel the least bit safe from the Huntsman here. Sometimes he hunted Gypsies. The low mutters of conversation continued as they were led to a fire in the center of the camp. The other Gypsies got up to come closer and see the newcomers. Wolf felt as if he were suddenly in a cage again.

"Poachers," he whispered to the others. "They'll kill us if they so choose. Do not refuse anything they offer, but do not consume anything you haven't already seen them eat first." Virginia gasped.

"It's like having dinner at your Grandmother's house," Tony whispered to his daughter. There was a note of bitterness. Wolf cleared his throat.

"I think we should sit down," he said, pulling Virginia toward him as he walked. He didn't want her to stray far from him in this place. Someone produced a fiddle and began to play music, a lilting Gypsy melody. The people clapped as they watched the dancing. Wolf, Virginia, and Tony were given tin cups of water. Wolf fidgeted a little, trying to get comfortable on the log that served as their seat, and clapped along. Tony was poking some kind of charred meat with a fork, a scowl of disgust written plainly on his face. He moved to set it down, but caught the eye of one of the Gypsy men.

"This is the best hedgehog I've had in weeks!" he exclaimed, a little too loudly to be believable. He took a tentative bite, and Virginia wrinkled her nose as she clapped.

Wolf caught the eye of a young boy sitting across the fire from him. He was half-wolf, like him, he could smell it. The boy stopped clapping, staring straight into Wolf's eyes, signaling that his suspicions were correct. Wolf's heart was racing in fear. What were the Gypsies going to do? Poison them? Kill them in their sleep?

The fiddle player signaled the end of the song and the Gypsies stopped dancing to clap in appreciation.

"Now it's your turn, stranger," said one of the men, offering the fiddle to Tony. He waved it away, saying,

"I don't really play."

"Then sing us a song," said the man.

"Not a singer," said Tony, smiling.

"Tony, _sing_. Let's not insult our hosts," said Wolf, tilting his head to indicate the Gypsies.

"I can't think of any songs," Tony whispered.

"Is our hospitality not worth a song," asked another man at Tony's shoulder. Tony moved to protest, but caught sight of the man's knife and gave up.

"Sure," he said, resigned. He handed Virginia the bowl of hedgehog and stood to face the crowd. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet the way Virginia did when she was nervous. Tony cleared his throat and began his song.

"_Picked up a boy, just south of Mobile. Gave him a ride, filled him with a hot meal_." Tony rubbed his stomach and attempted to dance, but mostly he was just bouncing back and forth. _"I was sixteen, he was twenty-one. Papa would have shot him if he knew what he'd done._" Tony went into the chorus. _"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves. We hear it from the people of the town. They called us Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves, but every night the men would come around and lay their money down_." He finished the song by striking a slightly seductive pose and spinning his hips in an awkward circle. Wolf started at him, dumbfounded. He couldn't have chosen a more inappropriate song. The Gypsies were staring at them as Tony sat back on the log. Wolf clapped loudly, trying to use the sound to signify that it wasn't meant to be insulting.

"That was good, Dad," said Virginia encouragingly.

"Well, I couldn't think of anything," Tony said in a low voice.

The Gypsies went about their usual business and let the three of them wander around the camp as long as they were in the line of sight. Virginia had gone over to see the birds, which were hanging in little cages all in a row. Virginia jumped as one of the birds spoke to her in a tiny, high-pitched voice.

"Set us free. Please set us free. We're just little victims," it said. Wolf was looking over her shoulder at the birds himself, feeling pity for the tiny creatures in their cages. He had come over to protect her; he felt uneasy when she was away from him.

"Magic birds," Wolf whispered in her ear. "Very rare, very hard to catch. Only the Gypsies know how to catch them."

"Little victims. You understand that, girly? Little victims," chirped another bird.

"What will happen to them?" Virginia asked.

"They'll have their wings broken, be sold to rich people," said Wolf. He was looking around, making sure the Gypsies didn't suspect anything. They might think Wolf and Virginia were planning on running off with their source of income.

"We won't, will we? That's awful," chirped the same bird.

"See, some people, they eat them, believing that they absorb their magic."

"They don't, do they? That's terrible. I have six little babies waiting to be fed. They are starving to death without me." Virginia was staring at the little bird as if her heart were breaking.

"That's awful," she gasped.

"Set us free. Please set us free," the bird continued to chirp.

Wolf moved her away from the cages before she could grant the bird's request. The Gypsies would be very angry. Wolf could hear Tony explaining the reason for the gold dog.

"No, don't touch that. It's just gold paint. I bought a pair to put at the end of my driveway."

The door on a large, red cart swung open just then and an old Gypsy woman stepped out of it. Her eyes passed over the strangers, sending chills down Wolf's spine.

"Set up a table," she ordered. The table was produced as quickly as possible and set up with a cloth and a deck of tarot cards. She motioned for Tony to sit down in the chair across from her. She dealt his hand slowly, smiling in mild amusement.

"I see great wealth coming to you."

"Ah, that's what I like to hear," Tony said cheerfully. She ignored him and flipped over another card.

"And passing straight through." Tony deflated a little, but he wasn't surprised.

"Oh. That was the, uh. . .bean I had," he said. "And what about the future?"

"I find the Fool."

"Uh-huh," said Tony. "And that card? What's that card?"

"The Fool's friend, the Oaf. He is joined by the Buffoon, and the Village Idiot." Wolf was sure the old Gypsy woman was laughing silently at Tony, but it was only indicated by her eyes. She began to shuffle the deck and Tony left his seat, looking a little disappointed in his reading. The Gypsy woman caught Virginia's eye.

"I will read the girl," she stated. Virginia smiled nervously.

"No, thanks." The old woman leaned forward in her chair and frowned, staring daggers at her. Virginia's smile faded as she immediately got up and went to sit in the chair. Wolf was anxiously awaiting his turn. He wanted to know how many children he and Virginia would have. He'd always liked children.

"You are full of anger," the woman said to Virginia. "You conceal much about yourself." She produced a pair of scissors. "I need a lock of your hair," she said, holding out her hand. Virginia leaned forward and let the old woman cut a piece from her ponytail. The old woman sprinkled the hair into a bowl with some kind of red mixture in it. It must have made sense to her because she continued,

"You have a great destiny that stretches way back in time."

"I'm just a waitress, so I don't think there's any prizes so far," said Virginia.

"You have never forgiven your mother for leaving you," said the old woman. Virginia blinked indignantly and scoffed.

"As I said, I'm not really interested in having my fortune read." The old woman frowned as Virginia left, and Wolf immediately claimed the empty chair.

"Love and romance, please. Love and marriage. Children. How long is it going to take for the creamy girl of my dreams to say 'yes?' That sort of thing." The old woman took his hands and began to read his palm. Wolf raised his eyebrows impatiently.

"I see death," she said. Wolf gasped.

"Oh," he whined.

"A young girl dead, torn to pieces." Her voice was low and threatening. Wolf gave a disbelieving laugh.

"No." The woman continued to stare. His smile fell. "Oh no." He tried changing the subject.

"See, I was thinking more along the lines of three girls and two boys?" The woman clutched his hands, but she was looking into his eyes.

"I see a fire being built. You are going to be burned on it."

"No!" he yelled, jerking back his hand, but she wouldn't let go. She leaned forward in her chair.

"You are not what you seem," she said. "You are a wolf." The other Gypsies immediately produced their weapons. Wolf did the only thing that would save him.

"So is your grandson," he accused, looking over his shoulder at the boy. The woman leaned back, smacking the table lightly with her hand. She almost looked pleased.

"You must stay with us tonight," she said. "Friends must stay together in the dangerous forest." Her tone suggested that they didn't have much of a choice. Wolf nodded in agreement.

That night Wolf couldn't sleep much. He kept thinking about what the Gypsy woman said. He sat around the fire and watched until the flames were almost extinguished. Is that how he would die? The half-wolf boy approached him silently, not sure how he would be received.

"It's okay. You can sit down. I'm not going to bite," Wolf told him, not looking away from the fire. The boy took a seat beside Wolf on the log.

"You knew what I am right away, didn't you?" he asked. Wolf nodded, staring into the glowing embers.

"I did, too," said the boy. Wolf met his gaze.

"You didn't tell your Grandmother," Wolf stated. The boy shrugged.

"I've never met another one like me." Wolf nodded. He understood. The boy was just afraid and wanted someone to talk to.

"What's your name?"

"Garridan." Wolf smiled and held out his hand.

"I'm Wolf." The boy smiled and shook it.

"That's easy to remember," he said. Wolf chuckled. A moment passed in silence.

"I know it's hard, sometimes," Wolf said, "being different. But it's not all bad." Garridan frowned.

"Some people are afraid of me," he said in a small voice. Wolf felt sad for him.

"I know. But some people are nice. Like Virginia. . . considering." Garridan looked over his shoulder at a sleeping Virginia. She had pulled up the hood of her jacket to protect her face and hair from the dirt.

"You like her, don't you?" Wolf looked at Garridan. He'd never made any attempt to hide his feelings. He wanted the whole world to know how he felt about Virginia. He only nodded in answer.

"How do you get her to like you?" Garridan asked. Wolf raised one eyebrow and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. She doesn't seem to be afraid of me anymore. So that's a start." Garridan frowned and nodded. Wolf asked why he wanted to know. The boy didn't seem to want to answer.

"You like a girl, don't you?" said Wolf, neither asking nor accusing. It was Garridan's turn to shrug this time. "You do!" Wolf was teasing him now. He saw the boy's face break into a shy grin.

"What's she like?" Wolf asked earnestly.

"I don't know. Pretty. Smart. We've been friends for a long time." Wolf smiled.

"Those are the best romances. The ones that sneak up on you." Wolf didn't know if he was just saying that or if he believed it himself. He'd personally always liked the stories where the knight had to save the damsel in distress. Adventure and conquest, that's what Wolf liked. . . but he was glad he told the boy what he wanted to hear because a big smile was plastered on Garridan's face.

"Well," Garridan said, "I'd better go to bed. Grandmother's making the camp move out tomorrow, and we usually walk all day." Wolf nodded and went back to staring at the fire. Flames of passion. . . or flames of destruction? His head was beginning to feel heavy on his shoulders and he figured he should get some rest himself if he were to wake the others before dawn. Otherwise, they would probably have to go with the Gypsies, and that wasn't an option. Being with them was dangerous for both sides.


End file.
